Green Linen and Green World

June is supposed to be about bees.  Here are two stitches I am considering. 

Sunday night through Monday morning we had a thunderstorm with 50 lightening strikes. The county to the south of us recorded over 800 strikes! Fortunately there was lots of rain (0.7") with the storm and the few fires were extremely small.  

Monday we had more rain 0.3" and Tuesday was showery.

We did get rewarded with a pretty rainbow!   

 Now that it's Wednesday let's go to see what is going on outside.

Here's someone who is always pleased to have some moisture. This frog resides in one of the springs that surround my sister's Dahlia Garden. He's often found lounging on the bank at the edge of the spring.

The Nootka Roses are in full bloom.

The Blackberries have lots of buds. We'll have a good crop this year. 

A Thimbleberry blossom.

Meadow Checkermallow is happy in a meadow - no surprise.

The vibrant wild Western Honeysuckle (Lonicera ciliosa) makes a startling contrast with the green of the trees and shrubs.

Here's why I think the Cedar Waxwings are here - ripe Osoberries.

Wild Columbine with the last of the native Blue Iris.

Lots of vetch and members of the pea family in bloom.  I love the red one in the center of the collage.

The Iris may be mostly done, but the Cat's Ears (Calochortus elegans) linger on.

It's worth a close-up look.

And here's Tolmie's Mariposa Lily (Calochortus tolmiei).

The deer have been very hard on the Osier Dogwood I planted in the front flowerbed.  They gave it a hard trimming, so it is not in bloom. The plants along the edge of the Big Creek are much taller and harder for the deer to reach. 

And thus they are in bloom.

We have shrub after shrub after shrub of Pacific Ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus).

The bees should sure me happy with everything that's in bloom now.

With the Blue Iris done, the meadows are now dotted with Blue Dicks (Dichelostemma capitatum). Isn't that a rather unfortunate name?

And here's a new wildflower.  This is Idaho Blue-Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium idahoense). My sister spotted it as she has potting up Dahlias. It likse moist meadows, but is growing near the house in a rather dry location.

It would do better if it were closer to Froggy's house!